Bomb threat postpones NJ high school graduation

🎓The threat came in less than an hour before BCIT's graduation was to begin

🎓K9 teams from several agencies were brought in and the school grounds evacuated

🎓Commencement was postponed until Tuesday

MEDFORD — A graduation ceremony was postponed Monday night after a bomb threat less than an hour before it was scheduled to start.

Police Chief Arthur Waterman said officers were already at the Burlington County Institute of Technology —Medford campus when the threat came around 6:15 p.m. The ceremony was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Waterman did not describe the threat in detail.

The school and the surrounding area were evacuated. K9 teams from Burlington City and State Police joined the Medford K9s to sweep the building, which turned up no explosives, according to Waterman.

The ceremony was rescheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the school's Facebook page.

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused," the school said online.

The school has an enrollment of 821 as of the 2022-23 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

A Halloween scare

There were some scary moments at the school on Halloween after a man parked his van in front and tried to get into the school, officials said. Gregory T. Nicholas, 34, tried several entrances, according to Medford police, who were called when he refused to leave.

Officers detained Nicholas and brought in a K9 to check the van. The K9 detected potential explosives in the van, leading to the building’s evacuation. Using a robot, police said they found “no threat within the school or within the building.”

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